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James William (1) Woodhurst was born in 1843 to parents James (2) Woodhurst and his wife Mary Ann Bonner, and was possibly their first child. His birth certificate [Birth Index: Stepney II 450, 1843 (Sept)] states that he was born at his parents' residence at 8, Claremont Place in Stepney on June 16th 1843. His father was occupied then as an engine fitter.
The 1861 Census finds him at age "18" lodging with a large family headed by a coffee house keeper Thomas Lawrence at 3, Leathersellers' Building next to the London Wall in All Hallows, City of London (this was the centuries-old building established by the Leatherseller's Livery Company, virtually destroyed later by WW2 incendiary bombing, but since rebuilt). He was occupied as a telegraph messenger. He was also cited in his parents' record for this census, so it is not certain whose house he was actually in at that time.
On September 22nd 1861 in Bethnal Green Parish Church of St. Matthew he married his cousin Emily Isabel Woodhurst. The marriage certificate [Marriage Index: Bethnal Green 1c 601, 1861 (Sept)] describes Emily's father Richard William (1) Woodhurst (RWW) as a hatter and gives her place of residence (and her husband's) as 14, Virginia Row. They were both 'minors' (aged under 21). James' second name William is not mentioned. He was a clerk in a telegraph office whilst his own father - the younger brother of RWW - was now a porter. The witnesses were Elizabeth Marlow and Sarah Middleton whose connections are unknown.
On October 23rd 1865 he joined the Metropolitan Police as a 4th-class constable and was issued with Warrant Number 46622; on June 9th 1866 he was advanced to 3rd-class constable and was then serving in the Hampstead ('S') Division; on April 18th 1868, whilst still in 'S' Division, he was advanced to 2nd-class constable [Metropolitan Police Records Management Branch]. The force's Joiners Records, which give various personal details of new members at the time they joined, are unfortunately officially missing for the period 1857-78.
Witness testimonies given by him at various trials at the Old Bailey during his service are given on this page.
The 1871 Census finds him at age 27 with his wife living at 2, Parliament Road in the St. John area of Hampstead. There were no children (or anyone else) living with them. His occupation is given as constable in the Metropolitan Police.
In 1872 he may have witnessed the marriage of his younger brother George Daniel.
The 1881 Census finds him and his wife living at 5, Coningsby Road in South Ealing, Middlesex. Again, no one else was living with them. He had done well for himself, for he had now risen to the rank of Inspector. He was now serving in the Hammersmith ('T') Division of the Metropolitan Police [Friends of the Metropolitan Police Historical Museum]. Like other divisions, this one would have comprised many hundreds of officers - by 1888 it had 52 inspectors, 75 sergeants and 632 constables, all under the command of Superintendent William Fisher [from the Victorian London Police website].
Curiously but entirely coincidentally, Coningsby Road is just opposite the Ealing Grange School at which the site author's father was working in the early 1950s.
James William (1) died in 1884. The death certificate [Death Index: Brentford 3a 55, 1884 (March)] confirms that his second name was William and states that he died aged 40 at 4, 'Alacros' Villas, Ealing on March 27th 1884. This was probably his home address, located in or near today's Alacross Road which is contiguous with Coningsby Road where he was living in 1881. The cause of death was 'Phthisis, Haemoptysis 6 days'. This is almost certainly a reference to pulmonary tuberculosis and indicates that he had been coughing up blood for six days prior to his death. His occupation was given as Inspector of Police. The informant - present at the death - was 'Susannah Taylor, mother-in-law', referring to Emily Isabel's mother Susannah (nee Miller), the former wife of RWW. Her address was then 17, Blanchard Road, Hackney, where she had been living in 1881. Emily Isabel was probably too distraught over this premature and distressing death to perform the formality herself. The funeral was reported in The Middlesex County Times, issue of April 5th 1884, as follows:
FUNERAL OF INSPECTOR WOODHURST. - The remains of the late Mr James William Woodhurst, inspector of Ealing sub-division of the Metropolitan Police, were interred at Ealing Cemetery on Thursday afternoon. A large number of the members of the force connected with the X and T Divisions paraded at the police station at half-past two, and marched to Coningsby Road, where they took up a position near the residence of the deceased. The funeral cortege, consisting of a hearse and two mourning coaches, left the house shortly after three o'clock, the police constables and officers falling in and following up to the Cemetery. On arriving here Detective Cluny placed on the coffin, which already bore a number of wreaths, a chaste floral cross, exquisitely designed and presented by Mrs H B Smith, of the Broadway. The service was conducted by the Rev. F C Jarvis. The coffin was of polished oak, and bore the following inscription:- "James William Woodhurst, died 27th March, 1884, aged 40 years." The members of the force who assembled to pay the last tribute of respect to the deceased officer, included 21 inspectors, 5 sergeants, and 81 constables of the F [sic - T] and X divisions. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr Moses J Hickman of Commerical Road East, London, in a thoroughly satisfactory manner.
An article published 60 years later in The Advertiser and Gazette, issue of April 7th 1944, looking back on the funeral, mentioned that James William (1) had served in the Force for eighteen years and was at the Ealing station for the last seven.